Runaway (12 page)

I made my way downstairs from the private dining hall. The staircase was short, but wide enough for ten people to scale side-by-side. The black rug had been my father’s touch, removing all the prettier colors the castle used to be draped in. The candle holders mounted on the walls were still made of blue crystal; small flames jumped around as I passed by them.

Taking a sharp right halfway down, took me back into my bedroom. Now cleaned and all the books stack tidily on shelves and cases. Mother Lucy was truly a miracle worker when it came to cleaning! My father disapproved of soldiers studying books. Cyril was the one being tutored, so I had to take it upon myself to study. From the scolding’s Cyril received from our father however, I could tell even without the tutor, I was the smarter of the two. I dug around in the armoire and pulled out a heavy cloak for outside.

Going to the small desk, I opened the plain little wooden box I kept safely there. I pulled out a long chain, on the end was a small gemstone the same color of my eyes. It had belonged to my mother, and after she passed, I had taken to wearing it. It was oddly made, having been cut into the shape of a four pointed star. It was a comfort to have this part of my mother with me.

Maybe I’ll go see if I can start an adventure then,
I thought to myself. The forest wasn’t a place I often went to, but preferred it to my father’s demand that I become his commander puppet. Besides, that was the job that Cyril wanted, so let him have it. I made my way for the horse stables.

Stephanie is a dedicated bookworm and adventurer, and is turning her passions into novels. Her debut novel, Golden Heart, received a Kindle Hub nomination for the 2014 Best Fantasy award.

She is a lover of the arts, literature being the obvious and theater being a close second. She lives a lot inside her own imagination, as it’s more interesting in there.  She was raised on the coast, and now resides in the mountains.

In the little free time she has, she enjoys cooking from scratch, reading in the bath tub, avoiding the dishes, and spoiling her chinchilla.

You can follow her on Facebook, or find more at
stephanieweiford.wordpress.com